MalacaƱang welcomed a study by an American think-tank saying that the Philippines is second among 38 countries in terms of fairness and accuracy in news reports.
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar said the Pew Research Center study only proves that press freedom and freedom of expression is healthy in the country.
āTotoo naman āyan, at tayoāy natutuwa na masigla ang ating press freedom, freedom of expression dito po sa Pilipinas,ā Andanar said in his radio program in State-run Radyo Pilipinas.
āNakikita nga natin, araw-araw ho binabasa ko lahat ng diyaryo, pinapasadahan ko lahat āyan. Mayroong mga positive, mayroong mga negativeā¦balanse,ā he added.
According to Andanar, media should stick to its role of not following what the government wants without question in order to keep government officials on their toes.
āHindi subservient ang media dapat sa gobyerno. Dapat mayroon talaga silang press freedom to keep us in our toes, kami sa gobyerno. So that is really the role of media ā checks and balance,ā he said.
According to the Palace official, the Pew Research also proves that President Duterteās critics are wrong in saying that the administration is trying to suppress the media.
āExactly the opposite. Mayroon tayong freedom of information, mayroon tayong Administrative Order No. 1 for the media security, at itong lumabas na research ngayon,ā Andanar said. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)